The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / Dead From New York, It's The SNL 50th Anniversary Special

**Posted by Leslieville Bill** February 18, 2025 9:16 am

I'm half way through it. I'm liking it.

**Posted by ig** February 18, 2025 9:37 am

Lone Michaels is at that magic point of fame and power where he can trust nobody to tell him something sucks. Much like a US President, everyone stands around nodding at his 'great' ideas, then leaves the room rolling their eyes.

RadioActive wrote:
So let me get this straight. They had half a century of classic material in their vaults, along with some amazing performances both comedic and musical. And THAT was the best they could do in a three hour special? Boy, was I ever disappointed in what I saw Sunday night.

The hype for this thing was immense. The return on watching it wasn't. Instead of using at least some of their most famous sketches, they decided to go for mostly new skits. And almost every one of them fell flat. From "Black Jeopardy" to that less than hilarious Q&A to that abysmal UFO piece about abductees and that awful musical wedding production, I watched the first two of three hours with my mouth dropping at how bad that was.

Only Steve Martin's opening dialogue made me laugh. The rest just lay there.

I admit I don't watch SNL anymore and I can see by their anniversary special it was the right decision. With some great comedy material to look back on over 50 years, they didn't pull anything. Except, perhaps, one over on the audience, who I feel sure was expecting more.

Wow, what a wasted opportunity.

I still can't believe with so much talent assembled on that stage, it was so terrible. As far as I'm concerned it was "Saturday Night Dead."

**Posted by Johnny B** February 18, 2025 10:00 am

torontostan wrote:
BowmanvilleBob wrote:
I, on the other hand, liked it.
I agree with you. It was very well done, I laughed many times.

Ditto...I LOL'd a few times...Eddie Murphy's impression of Tracy Morgan was hilarious...Will Ferrell as Big Red in a sketch with Murphy fantastic...also, Meryl Streep as an alien abductee, Robert DeNiro, Martin Short, Steve Martin, Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Cher, Keith Richards, etc...all A-listers making appearances...very good stuff overall....it also triggered the snowflake MAGA crowd when Hanks came out as a redhat...but we all know SNL is woke as shit and the good ole white boy, rednecks have a hard time with that.

**Posted by Chrisphen** February 18, 2025 10:04 am

Kids in the Hall really nailed Michaels in the movie...

ig wrote:
Lone Michaels is at that magic point of fame and power where he can trust nobody to tell him something sucks. Much like a US President, everyone stands around nodding at his 'great' ideas, then leaves the room rolling their eyes.

RadioActive wrote:
So let me get this straight. They had half a century of classic material in their vaults, along with some amazing performances both comedic and musical. And THAT was the best they could do in a three hour special? Boy, was I ever disappointed in what I saw Sunday night.

The hype for this thing was immense. The return on watching it wasn't. Instead of using at least some of their most famous sketches, they decided to go for mostly new skits. And almost every one of them fell flat. From "Black Jeopardy" to that less than hilarious Q&A to that abysmal UFO piece about abductees and that awful musical wedding production, I watched the first two of three hours with my mouth dropping at how bad that was.

Only Steve Martin's opening dialogue made me laugh. The rest just lay there.

I admit I don't watch SNL anymore and I can see by their anniversary special it was the right decision. With some great comedy material to look back on over 50 years, they didn't pull anything. Except, perhaps, one over on the audience, who I feel sure was expecting more.

Wow, what a wasted opportunity.

I still can't believe with so much talent assembled on that stage, it was so terrible. As far as I'm concerned it was "Saturday Night Dead."

Last edited by Chrisphen (February 18, 2025 10:04 am)

**Posted by TheWiz** February 18, 2025 5:03 pm

torontostan wrote:
BowmanvilleBob wrote:
I, on the other hand, liked it.
I agree with you. It was very well done, I laughed many times.

I didn't think it was that bad. There were a couple dull spots but overall, well done. I liked how they combined similar characters into single sketches. Like Linda Richman showing up on "Bronx Beat".

**Posted by paterson1** February 19, 2025 10:35 pm

The SNL 50th was a big hit for Global on Saturday evening. Preliminary numbers show about 1.6 million live viewers in Canada. Numbers will go up a lot when recorded viewing and digital viewing is added in. More details from Bill Brioux, brioux.tv....https://brioux.tv/blog/2025/02/19/snl50-a-ratings-hit-in-canada-and-the-us/

**Posted by Hansa** February 20, 2025 1:04 pm

I don't think a clip show would have worked in the age of YouTube when you can just sit down and watch as many classic SNL sketches as you want.

I actually liked most of the special. As always there were a few sketches that weren't great (I was never a fan of Debbie Downer or Linda Richman) but I liked the Les Mis tribute and for people who remember the famous headline: "Ford to [New York] City: Drop Dead" headline, "New York to Ford: Who's Dead Now?" was a hilariously dark rejoinder.

https://images.app.goo.gl/xmLFX9j4YaxdnyZq5

Last edited by Hansa (February 20, 2025 1:12 pm)

**Posted by Hansa** February 20, 2025 3:52 pm

torontostan wrote:
Is Global & SNL's partnership a record for length of time an American program has consistently ran on the same Canadian network? Can't think of another example that approaches 50 years

Metropolitan Opera simulcasts have been carried by CBC Radio since the network's inception in 1934. The simulcasts actually predate the CBC having started on the CBC's predecessor, the Candian Radio Broadcasting Commission, in 1933.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Opera_radio_broadcasts

**Posted by Retrontario** February 20, 2025 3:54 pm

torontostan wrote:
Is Global & SNL's partnership a record for length of time an American program has consistently ran on the same Canadian network? Can't think of another example that approaches 50 years

Disney's Sunday Night Movie & CBC?

**Posted by Hansa** February 20, 2025 5:09 pm

Coronation Street and CBC?

**Posted by ED1** February 20, 2025 5:35 pm

torontostan wrote:
Is Global & SNL's partnership a record for length of time an American program has consistently ran on the same Canadian network? Can't think of another example that approaches 50 years

I don't think it ran across Global or its defacto affiliates (especially out west) 100% of the time. I recall CFRN-TV in Edmonton (CTV) airing SNL for a few years.

**Posted by torontostan** February 20, 2025 5:38 pm

Hansa wrote:
Coronation Street and CBC?

Not American, but I take your point

**Posted by paterson1** February 20, 2025 5:50 pm

ED1 wrote:
torontostan wrote:
Is Global & SNL's partnership a record for length of time an American program has consistently ran on the same Canadian network? Can't think of another example that approaches 50 years
I don't think it ran across Global or its defacto affiliates (especially out west) 100% of the time. I recall CFRN-TV in Edmonton (CTV) airing SNL for a few years.

Back in 1975 when SNL first went on the air, Global was only available in Southern Ontario. Any stations in western Canada or east of Ontario that ran SNL wouldn't have been affilated with Global but possibly were able to make arrangements with them to run the program. This is assuming that Global had the Canadian rights to SNL, rather than just regional in Ontario.

**Posted by Paul Jeffries** February 20, 2025 8:33 pm

paterson1 wrote:
ED1 wrote:
torontostan wrote:
Is Global & SNL's partnership a record for length of time an American program has consistently ran on the same Canadian network? Can't think of another example that approaches 50 years
I don't think it ran across Global or its defacto affiliates (especially out west) 100% of the time. I recall CFRN-TV in Edmonton (CTV) airing SNL for a few years.
Back in 1975 when SNL first went on the air, Global was only available in Southern Ontario. Any stations in western Canada or east of Ontario that ran SNL wouldn't have been affilated with Global but possibly were able to make arrangements with them to run the program. This is assuming that Global had the Canadian rights to SNL, rather than just regional in Ontario.

I believe CITY-TV in Toronto ran Saturday Night Live for a number of years in the '80s, possibly the '70s too.

PJ

Last edited by Paul Jeffries (February 20, 2025 8:36 pm)

**Posted by paterson1** February 20, 2025 9:06 pm

As far as I know Global has run SNL since day one. I never heard that Global missed any seasons, but I didn't watch SNL much in the first ten years. So maybe CITY had them for a while. However, I have never heard anyone ever mention them running on CITY at any time.

**Posted by Paul Jeffries** February 20, 2025 9:22 pm

I seem to recall CITY-TV having SNL for at least a brief period during the Dick Ebersol years in the early '80s. Could be wrong, my memory might be playing tricks on me.

PJ

**Posted by RadioActive** February 20, 2025 10:32 pm

This is from Sept. 1978. It appears to list every show that Global had and I don't see SNL on it.

**Posted by AspectRatio** February 21, 2025 6:19 am

RadioActive wrote:
This is from Sept. 1978. It appears to list every show that Global had and I don't see SNL on it.

I also found this Saturday, November 1, 1980 Toronto Star article and they're recommending that night's "Saturday Night Live" on channel 2, WGR Buffalo (based on the grid to the right). I see that simsub rules imposed by the CRTC were in place since 1972, so if a Canadian station were showing it I would think they wouldn't list the NBC affiliate as the place to catch it.

**Posted by mace** February 21, 2025 7:07 am

AspectRatio wrote:
RadioActive wrote:
This is from Sept. 1978. It appears to list every show that Global had and I don't see SNL on it.
I also found this Saturday, November 1, 1980 Toronto Star article and they're recommending that night's "Saturday Night Live" on channel 2, WGR Buffalo (based on the grid to the right). I see that simsub rules imposed by the CRTC were in place since 1972, so if a Canadian station were showing it I would think they wouldn't list the NBC affiliate as the place to catch it.

Possibly an accidental printing ommission. If you go to the actual program listings, ch 2,6 and 22 would be indicated.

**Posted by AspectRatio** February 21, 2025 3:30 pm

mace wrote:
Possibly an accidental printing ommission. If you go to the actual program listings, ch 2,6 and 22 would be indicated.

Interestingly enough, just channels 2 and 8 (8 is the other NBC affiliate, WROC Rochester).

**Posted by Ida Spencer** February 21, 2025 3:38 pm

Paul Jeffries wrote:
I seem to recall CITY-TV having SNL for at least a brief period during the Dick Ebersol years in the early '80s. Could be wrong, my memory might be playing tricks on me.

PJ

You could 'See It On City' from '81, until Global Got It a couple of years later. Fun fact: NBC briefly simulcast the show on FM in fall '81. WGR's then-sister WGRQ ran it here. A couple of years later of course NBC and the other networks had stereo TV.